Friday, August 31, 2012

Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plant walking into the village 
Today is the start of the long holiday Labor Day weekend. How could the summer go by so quickly? I wanted to go check out the new Joann store in Plymouth, but wasn't sure how the Rte. 3 traffic would be. After debating this morning I picked up my friend, Shirley and we headed to Plymouth. The traffic was not bad at all, surprising for a Friday in the summer. We went to Exit 5 to the Shops at 5, to the new Joann store that opened. All the fabric I bought was on sale.
After shopping in Joanns, I mentioned to Shirley that today was the last free event Friday of the summer and there would be free admission (normally the entrance fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children) to Plimoth Plantation. I asked if she wanted to go, because it was just a short drive down the road from where we were. We weren't really prepared to do a lot of walking, as we had worn sandals and not good walking shoes, had no hats, and today it was  hot (88 degrees), walking up and down those dusty trails thru the Wampanoag Indian village and then thru the Pilgrim Settlement, we probably walked 5 miles. The place was packed and I felt bad for all the little ones.
Once again...I only had my small digital camera in the car..ugh!!!!
As you arrive, you go to the visitors center to watch a short film and then proceed to the Indian village, then to the Pilgrim settlement.
Plimoth Plant entrance sign 8.31.12Welcome sign
Plimoth Plantation is a recreation of the Wampanoag Indian village and Pilgrim homes from 1627, 7 years after the Pilgrims landed. The Indians had camped along the Eel river for hundreds of years before the Pilgrims arrived. It's amazing what the Indians did with so little.
   Plimoth Plant indian girl tending cooking pots Plimoth Plant indian smoke hole in house smoke hole
 Plimoth Plant indian winter house another winter lodgePlimoth Plant indian winter house2 slabs of bark cover the roof and sides of the winter lodges for added warmth from the harsh New England winters. In the center of each lodge there was a fire pit for cooking and heat, with an opening in the roof to let out smoke.
Plimoth Plant indian woven mat inside winter house  reed wall mats cover the walls of the lodge for added insulation
Plimoth Plant herbs drying in indian summer lodge  herbs hanging to dry inside a  Indian lodge. The inside walls were covered with woven reed mats to keep in the heat and keep out drafts.
Plimoth Plant inside indian summer housenear the walls...sleeping platforms that also double as sitting areas. The platforms are covered with reeds. Cooking pit in the center of the lodge
Plimoth Plant inside Shirley inside indian summer houseShirley sitting in a  lodge
Plimoth Plant indian woven mats inside winter houseinside winter lodge
Plimoth Plant indian cook area woman cooking birdIndian woman tending the fire as she cooked a turkey on a spit over an open smoldering fire
Plimoth Plant indian cook area woman cooking bird2tending the fire
Plimoth Plant indian girl tending cooking pots Indian girl tending to cooking pots
Plimoth Plant indian cook areapart of the cooking area
Plimoth plantation fish drying racksrack for drying fish
Plimoth Plant deer hide on rackdeer hide drying
Plimoth Plant male indian sitting on log
Plimoth Plant hollowed out tree boats4hollowed out log..used as canoes
Plimoth Plant male indian standing
Plimoth Plant hand made fish netshandmade fishing net
Plimoth Plant hollowed out tree boats1 down by the Eel river..hollowed out log canoes that happen to be filled with rain water after the latest rain storm. The Indians built fires in the logs and tended them day and night for 5 days, chipping out the burnt wood.
Plimoth Plant hollowed out tree boats2 you can see the stakes in river that held the Indians fish nests
Plimoth Plant indian toys Indian toy deer hide doll and hollowed out canoe
Entering the Pilgrim Settlement ..stepping back in time. Click on the photos to see the photos better. 
Plimoth Plant welcome to the 17th century
Plimoth Plant walking into the villageSettlement overlooking Plymouth Beach
Plimoth Plant house1thatched roofs
Plimoth Plant pulpit in stockade bldginside the stockade with lookout there were benches and a pulpit for worship
Plimoth Plant fenced field oceanfenced field on the right as you walk down a step road to enter the settlement
Plimoth Plant stacked wood and brushhuge stack of cut firewood and pile of brush
Plimoth Plant rethatching roof of housemost of  the houses were one room with dirt floors and sparsely furnished, no glass on the windows just bars with canvas or skins that could be rolled down for bad weather.
Plimoth Plant bed w firewood under it and chamberpotfirewood under the bed along with a chamber pot
Plimoth plant settlement
Plimoth Plant inside pilgrim house     kitchen table, bed with chamber pot under the bed
Plimoth Plant another bed w curtains for privacy and warmthbed in another pilgrim home surrounded by curtains for privacy and to keep out drafts
Plimoth Plant mattresses airing outmattresses on fence airing out
 Plimoth Plant outdoor oven outdoor baking oven
Plimoth Plant pewter plates on shelf pewter dishes on a wall shelf inside of a house
Plimoth Plant pilgrim kitchen fireplaceinside house..fireplace, kitchen table and a bed
Plimoth Plant fireplace w herbs and pots  fireplace with hanging herbs, pots and pans
Plimoth Plant herbs drying inside home on side of fireplaceherbs drying on the side of a fireplace just inside the enterance to a house
Plimoth Plant pilgrim lady sewing  pilgrim lady sewing..this ladies home had 2 rooms..one room was a bedroom
Plimoth Plant storage chest and pewter lovely carved storage cabinet with pewter dishes to hold precious belongings
Plimoth Plant clup of storage chest carvingsclose up photo of the carving on the center door of storage chest
Plimoth Plant older pilgrim man inside housedoor
plimoth Plant pilgrim man in hat Plimoth Plant pilgrim man with leather apron        Plimoth Plant working 2 man saw    working a 2 man saw on a very hot afternoon
Plimoth Plant working 2 man saw boy in pit
Plimoth Plant pilgrim lady w rakelady that tended the goats
 Plimoth Plant houses in need of repair 2 goats goats
Plimoth Plant cow in pasturecow in fenced pasture in yard of home
  Plimoth Plant hops growing for brew hops growing in the garden for making beer
Plimoth Plant string beans growingpole beans growing in a garden
Plimoth Plant 2 pilgrim ladies Plimoth Plant 2 pilgrim ladies w mugs in hand       
I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit via my photos of Plimoth Plantation. Below are just a few links, but if you do a google search you will find many, many more.
http://www.plimoth.org/what-see-do
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plimoth_Plantation
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm
Plymouth has lots to see and do. I went to high school in Plymouth. In fact, they just built a huge new high school and are in the process of tearing down the old Plymouth - Carver High School that was brand new the year I started there.
After leaving the Plantation, I drove to Nelsons Beach to enjoy the water. It was low tide when we arrived, but the breeze was most welcome. Shirley and I were both tired and hot from all the walking in the hot sun.
We were going to stop by Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower, but the waterfront area was really busy and there were no parking spaces, but here are some photos that I took before.
Mayflower boat Mayflower 11
plymouth rock
Plimouth Nelsons beach 8.31.12low tide..Nelsons Beach, Plymouth
On the way home, we stopped for an early supper in Halifax, at the Grille 58. I had scallops and Shirley had fried haddock.
Oh, I forget to mention..have you seen the beautiful full moons we had this month. For the past 2 nights we have enjoyed the huge 2nd full moon in August. I believe tonight is the last night of the full moon. When there are two full moons in one month the 2nd full moon is called a Blue Moon. The next Blue Moon will be in 2015. Tonight it is very cloudy, but I did snap a couple of photos before the moon was completely covered by clouds.
Blue moon full moon 3. 8.31.12 kind of pretty with the clouds surrounding the moon
Full Moon...blue moon
Blue moon full moon 8.31.12
Blue moon full moon 2. 8.31.12
Blue moon full moon 5. 8.31.12 finally no clouds..10:25 P.M.
Blue moon full moon 4. 8.31.12
Heard on the TV this morning that many of the Cape Cod beaches are closed this weekend due to sharks being sighted close to shore.
Have a safe long holiday weekend.
Elaine